Rur Valley to the Steling Loop
Trail photos
Author
Trail stats
- Distance
- 8.84 mi
- Elevation gain
- 1,283 ft
- Technical difficulty
- Moderate
- Elevation loss
- 1,283 ft
- Max elevation
- 2,199 ft
- TrailRank
-
66
4.5
- Min elevation
- 1,341 ft
- Trail type
- Loop
- Coordinates
- 1117
- Uploaded
- October 22, 2015
- Recorded
- October 2015
near Burgau, Nordrhein-Westfalen (Deutschland)
Viewed 5793 times, downloaded 143 times
Trail photos
Itinerary description
The Steling (or Stehling) is the highest point in the Aachen district and a desirable destination on its own. The Steling sits on the edge of the Hohe Venn (a moorland), near the village of Mützenich. It is difficult to say which is the more attractive hiking destination: the Steling or the Rur Valley with the pretty town of Monschau and its pubs. Monschau has very many hiking routes and we hope to have added one more particularly worthwhile trip.
Compared to typical Eifel hikes, the elevation gains from the Rur Valley to the Steling are considerable – 270 meters. Together with the usual up-and-down of trails in this area, there is a total of 430 meters that the hiker has to manage both in ascent and descent.
We start at about the midpoint of the ascent, near the public pool of Monschau. This allows a comfortable ascent to the Steling, a long downhill walk to Monschau with an opportunity for a lengthy rest, before returning energized along the Monschau castle back to the starting point.
In Mützenich we got way-laid by the Thanksgiving Parade of the local farming community. This is a fascinating spectacle, and one ought to reserve the first Sunday in October for a visit.
The summit of the Steling is not particularly remarkable. But there are good views to be had in its vicinity. There is also Kaiser Karl’s Bettstatt (literally: Emperor Karl’s bed – a place where Charles the Great was said to have spent the night, around 800 AD). The trail to Monschau continues on peaceful paths but takes an unusual entry to Monschau through the Laufenbach Valley and the Haller – an old fortification with great views over the stone clad roofs of Monschau.
Take your time for a good rest in Monschau, to collect energy for the final ascent first to the Monschau Castle with great views and back to where you left the car.
This is a loop that can be started at any other point.
Compared to typical Eifel hikes, the elevation gains from the Rur Valley to the Steling are considerable – 270 meters. Together with the usual up-and-down of trails in this area, there is a total of 430 meters that the hiker has to manage both in ascent and descent.
We start at about the midpoint of the ascent, near the public pool of Monschau. This allows a comfortable ascent to the Steling, a long downhill walk to Monschau with an opportunity for a lengthy rest, before returning energized along the Monschau castle back to the starting point.
In Mützenich we got way-laid by the Thanksgiving Parade of the local farming community. This is a fascinating spectacle, and one ought to reserve the first Sunday in October for a visit.
The summit of the Steling is not particularly remarkable. But there are good views to be had in its vicinity. There is also Kaiser Karl’s Bettstatt (literally: Emperor Karl’s bed – a place where Charles the Great was said to have spent the night, around 800 AD). The trail to Monschau continues on peaceful paths but takes an unusual entry to Monschau through the Laufenbach Valley and the Haller – an old fortification with great views over the stone clad roofs of Monschau.
Take your time for a good rest in Monschau, to collect energy for the final ascent first to the Monschau Castle with great views and back to where you left the car.
This is a loop that can be started at any other point.
Waypoints
Car park
1,531 ft
SM 01-Parken
Bridge
1,722 ft
SM 02-Unterführung
Intersection
1,724 ft
SM 03-Gabel
Intersection
1,823 ft
SM 05-Gabel
Intersection
1,854 ft
SM 06-Gabel
Intersection
1,919 ft
SM 07-Kreuzung
Intersection
1,958 ft
SM 08-Gabel
Intersection
2,022 ft
SM 09-Gabel
Intersection
2,027 ft
SM 10-Gabel
Intersection
2,061 ft
SM 11-Doppelgabel
Intersection
2,140 ft
SM 13-Gabel
Intersection
2,159 ft
SM 15-Gabel
Summit
2,197 ft
SM 16-Steling
Summit
2,159 ft
SM 18-Steling 2
Intersection
2,103 ft
SM 19-Gabel
Intersection
1,840 ft
SM 20-Kreuzung
Intersection
1,747 ft
SM 21-Ravel
Bridge
1,656 ft
SM 22-Brücke
Waypoint
1,659 ft
SM 23-Rochusmühle
Religious site
Provisioning
1,594 ft
SM 25-Flora
Intersection
1,603 ft
SM 26-Gabel
Intersection
1,630 ft
SM 27-Gabel
Waypoint
1,655 ft
SM 28-Hagard
Intersection
1,575 ft
SM 30-Gabel
Intersection
1,645 ft
SM 31-Gabel
Ruins
Panorama
1,454 ft
SM 34-Halberrmond
Comments (2)
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I have followed this trail View more
Information
Easy to follow
Scenery
Moderate
Very nice route. It was snowing in the hills, which made the environment very beautiful.
I have followed this trail View more
Information
Easy to follow
Scenery
Moderate
Excellent parcours! Je l'ai commencé à Mützenich. L’arrivée à Monschau par un petit sentier qui passe au pied d'une tour fortifiée est saisissante. Quelle jolie petite ville reliquaire , pleine de recoins pittoresques!
A faire!